While it is still faring well compared to the rest of the world, the US economy has flashed some warning signals over the past couple weeks.

One of those warning signals came in the September jobs report. The economy added 142,000 jobs during the month, the Labor Department said, and the August figure was revised lower, from 173,000 to 136,000. Both the August and September numbers were well below the 200,000-plus average we've seen over the past year or so. In addition average hourly wages dipped slightly in September vs. August. The unemployment rate held steady at 5.1%, the lowest it has been since April 2008. The reason that the unemployment rate dropped while job growth slowed was that the number of people not in the workforce jumped by 2.3 million during the quarter. When the labor force shrinks, a common refrain is that it's because workers are so discouraged that they have given up looking for jobs. But such workers should be included in the "U-6" rate, which unlike the headline number takes into account those working part-time who want full-time work, and discouraged workers who have given up looking for a job -- and the U-6 fell to 10.0% in September, the lowest it has been since May 2008. A more likely explanation for the increase in people not in the labor force seems to be that more and more baby boomers are hitting retirement age.

The second bearish signal came in the form of manufacturing data. While the manufacturing sector expanded for the 33rd straight month, according to the Institute for Supply Management, it did so at the slowest pace in almost two-and-a-half years. New order growth was close to flat in September, and employment conditions improved minimally during the quarter, according to ISM. Customer inventories increased, while backlogs of orders fell fairly sharply.

Nevertheless, we also had some very good economic news. The service sector remained a bright spot, expanding in September for the 68th straight month, according to ISM. The rate of expansion wasn't as fast as it was in July or August, but it was still quite strong. New order growth slowed from August's stellar pace, but remained solid, and employment conditions also remained very strong.

New claims for unemployment also fell since our last newsletter, coming close to the 42-year low they hit back in July. They are 11.6% below year-ago levels. Continuing claims, the data for which lag new claims by a week, also fell since our last newsletter and are 8% below year-ago levels.

Personal income jumped 0.3% in August, meanwhile, according to the Commerce Department. Real disposable personal income rose 0.4%, while real personal consumption expenditures rose 0.4%. That meant the personal savings rate was 4.6%, down slightly from August's 4.7%.

Gas prices have continued to fall, though they appear to be leveling out more recently. A gallon of regular unleaded on average cost $2.31 as of October 8, down from $2.39 a month earlier, according to AAA. That's close to 30% below where it was a year ago.

Since our last newsletter, the S&P 500 returned 4.2%, while the Hot List returned 8.0%. So far in 2015, the portfolio has returned 2.2% vs. -2.2% for the S&P. Since its inception in July 2003, the Hot List is far outpacing the index, having gained 230.4% vs. the S&P's 101.3% gain.

Portfolio Update

It has been a very nice fortnight for the Hot List, with several big winners pushing the portfolio back into the black for 2015. Since our last newsletter, seven of our holdings have gained ground and three have been in the red, with four of the winners posting double-digit gains. (Performance data as of mid-morning trading on October 8.)

The biggest winner: Zumiez Inc. (ZUMZ), the Washington State-based teen-focused specialty apparel retailer, which surged more than 21%. About half of that increase came after the firm announced that September same-store sales fell 1.8%, but far exceeded the -6.9% estimate from analysts, according to Thomson Reuters. Zumiez shares had been hit hard in September after a disappointing earnings report. But the Hot List saw it as a good value play late in the month, and so far the stock is paying off.

Just behind Zumiez was Universal Insurance Holdings (UVE), the small-cap insurer that offers homeowners insurance in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Hawaii, Georgia, Massachusetts and Maryland. UVE shares jumped 19% since our last newsletter. After a rough August, UVE was one of the market's best performers in September, as investors seemed to realize that they had been too hard on this strong performing business during the market swoon. The firm also announced in September a $10 million program to buy back its shares, which runs through the end of 2016, and that likely helped to boost shares as well.

A third big winner was Chart Industries (GTLS), which was up more than 17.5%. The strong performance from Chart, which makes engineered equipment for the industrial gas, energy, and biomedical industries, coincided with the broader market's rebound, and was likely thus a case of a small-cap getting hit too hard during the August declines and then snapping back as fears subsided. The company also announced that a subsidiary had received contracts in excess of $40 million from Magnolia LNG, which may well have heartened investors.

On the downside, athletic apparel retailer Foot Locker (FL) was our biggest loser, down 4.9%. Shares fell after a U.S. District Court ruled against Foot Locker in a case that involves claims related to the conversion of the company's pension plan in 1996 to a defined benefit plan with a cash balance formula. Foot Locker said it plans to appeal the decision.

The Hot List's strong performance over the past two weeks was very encouraging, and hopefully it is a sign of things to come as 2015 winds down. In two weeks, we will rebalance the portfolio, at which time we'll see which current holdings will continue to impress my guru-inspired strategies.

Editor-in-Chief: John Reese

Since Inception

Hot List

230.4%

S&P 500

101.3%

Accuracy

54.4%

Beta

1.2

YTD

Hot List

2.2%

S&P 500

-2.2%

Since Last Issue

Hot List

8.0%

S&P 500

4.2%

Avg. Fundamentals

Market Cap (mil)

$5,293

PE Ratio

17.6

5 Yr EPS Growth

26.1%

Yield

0.8%

Rel. Strength

71

Portfolio Sectors

Financial

5

Services

3

Capital Goods

1

Consumer/Non-Cyclical

1

Guru Spotlight: Peter Lynch

Choosing the greatest fund manager of all-time is a tough task. John Templeton, Benjamin Graham, John Neff -- a number of investors have put up the types of long-term track records that make it difficult to pick just one who was "The Greatest".

If you were to rank Peter Lynch at the top of the list, however, you'd probably find few would disagree with you. During his 13-year tenure as the head of Fidelity Investments' Magellan Fund, Lynch produced a 29.2 percent average annual return -- nearly twice the 15.8 percent return that the S&P 500 posted during the same period. According to Barron's, over the last five years of Lynch's tenure, Magellan beat 99.5 percent of all other funds. If those numbers aren't impressive enough, try this one: If you'd invested $10,000 in Magellan the day Lynch took the helm, you would have had $280,000 on the day he retired 13 years later.

Just like investors who entrusted him with their money, I, too, owe a special debt of gratitude to Lynch. When I was trying to find my way in the stock market many years ago, Lynch's book One Up On Wall Street was a big part of what put me on the right track. Lynch didn't use complicated schemes or highbrow financial language in giving investment advice; he focused on the basics, and his common sense approach and layman-friendly writing style resonated not only with me but with amateur and professional investors all over, as evidenced by its best-seller status. The wisdom of Lynch's approach so impressed me that I decided to try to computerize the method, the first step I took toward developing my Guru Strategy computer models.

Just what was it about Lynch's approach that made him so incredibly successful? Interestingly, a big part of his approach involved something that is not at all exclusive to being a renowned professional fund manager: He invested in what he knew. Lynch believed that if you personally know something positive about a stock -- you buy the company's products, like its marketing, etc. -- you can get a beat on successful businesses before professional investors get around to them. In fact, one of the things that led him to one of his most successful investments -- undergarment manufacturer Hanes -- was his wife's affinity for the company's new pantyhose years ago.

But while his "buy-what-you-know" advice has gained a lot of attention over the years, that part of his approach was only a starting point for Lynch. What his strategy really focused on was fundamentals -- that's why I was able to computerize it -- and the most important fundamental he looked at was one whose use he pioneered: the P/E/Growth ratio.

The P/E/Growth ratio, or "PEG", divides a stock's price/earnings ratio by its historical growth rate. The theory behind this was relatively simple: The faster a company was growing, the more you should be willing to pay for its stock. To Lynch, PEGs below 1.0 were signs of growth stocks selling on the cheap; PEGs below 0.5 really indicated that a growth stock was a bargain.

To show how the P/E/G can be more useful than the P/E ratio, Lynch has cited Wal-Mart, America's largest retailer. In his book "One Up On Wall Street", he notes that Wal-Mart's P/E was rarely below 20 during its three-decade rise. Its growth rate, however was consistently in the 25 to 30 percent range, generating huge profits for shareholders despite the P/E ratio not being particularly low. That also proved another one of Lynch's tenets: that a good company can grow for decades before earnings level off.

The PEG wasn't the only abbreviation Lynch popularized within the stock market lexicon. His strategy is often used as a primary example of "GARP" -- Growth At A Reasonable Price -- investing, which blends growth and value tenets. While some categorize Lynch as a growth investor because his favorite type of stocks were "fast-growers" -- those growing earnings per share at an annual rate of at least 20 percent -- his use of PEG as a way to make sure he wasn't paying too much for growth really makes him a hybrid growth-value investor.

One Size Doesn't Fit All

One aspect of Lynch's approach that makes it different from those of other gurus I follow is his practice of evaluating different categories of stocks with different variables. His favorite category, as I noted, was "fast-growers". These companies were growing earnings at a rate of 20 to 50 percent per year. (Lynch didn't want growth rates above 50 percent, because it was unlikely companies could sustain such high growth rates over the long term).

The other two main categories of stocks Lynch examined in his writings were "stalwarts" and "slow-growers". Stalwarts are large, steady firms that have multi-billion-dollar sales and moderate growth rates (between 10 and 20 percent). These are usually firms you know well -- Wal-Mart and IBM are current examples of "stalwarts" based on that definition. Their size and stability usually make them good stocks to have if the market hits a downturn, so Lynch typically kept some of them in his portfolio.

"Slow-growers", meanwhile, are firms with higher sales that are growing EPS at an annual rate below 10 percent. These are the types of stocks you invest in primarily for their high dividend yields.

One way Lynch treated slow-growers and stalwarts differently from fast-growers involved the PEG ratio. Because slow-growers and stalwarts tend to offer strong dividend yields, Lynch adjusted their PEG calculations to include dividend yield. For example, consider a stock that is selling for $30, and has a P/E ratio of 10, EPS growth of 12 percent, and a 3 percent yield. To find the PEG, you'd divide the P/E (10) by the total of the growth rate and yield (12+3=15). That gives you 10/15=0.67, which, being under 1.0, indicates that the stock is indeed a good value.

Another difference: For slow-growers, Lynch wanted a high yield, and the model I base on his approach requires dividend yield to be higher than the S&P average and greater than 3 percent.

Beyond The PEG

The PEG wasn't the only variable Lynch applied to all stocks. For fast-growers, stalwarts, and slow-growers alike, he also looked at the inventory/sales ratio, which my Lynch-based model wants to be declining, and the debt/equity ratio, which should be below 80%. (For financial companies, it uses the equity/assets ratio and return on assets rates rather than the debt/equity ratio, since financials typically have to carry a lot of debt as a part of their business.)

The final part of the Lynch strategy includes two bonus categories: free cash flow/price ratio and net cash/price ratio. Lynch loved it when a stock had a free cash flow/price ratio greater than 35 percent, or a net cash/price ratio over 30 percent. (Lynch defined net cash as cash and marketable securities minus long term debt). Failing these tests doesn't hurt a stock, however, since these are only bonus criteria.

A Market-Beater

Over the long term my Lynch-inspired model has had its ups and downs, but if you've stuck with it, it's paid off. Overall since I started tracking it in July 2003, the portfolio has averaged annualized returns of 8.6%, easily beating the 5.8% annualized return for the S&P 500 (all performance figures are through Oct. 7). The 20-stock Lynch-inspired portfolio I track has been one of my best performers, gaining 13.0% annualized since its mid-2003 inception.

Here's a look at the stocks that currently make up my 10-stock Lynch-based portfolio:

Zumiez Inc. (ZUMZ): Zumiez announced that September same-store sales fell 1.8%, but that far exceeded the -6.9% estimate from analysts, according to Thomson Reuters. The big beat was part of why shares surged 21% since our last newsletter.

Foot Locker (FL): A U.S. District Court ruled against Foot Locker in a case that involves claims related to the conversion of the company's pension plan in 1996 to a defined benefit plan with a cash balance formula. Foot Locker said it plans to appeal the decision.

The Next Issue

In two weeks, we will publish another issue of the Hot List, at which time we will rebalance the portfolio. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at hotlist@validea.com.

Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. (UIH), with its wholly owned subsidiaries, is a vertically integrated insurance holding company performing all aspects of insurance underwriting, distribution and claims. The Company's offers homeowners' insurance through the Insurance Entities, Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company (UPCIC) and American Platinum Property and Casualty Insurance Company (APPCIC). Substantially all aspects of insurance underwriting, distribution and claims processing are performed by the Company's subsidiaries. UPCIC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, is a writer of homeowners insurance in Florida and has commenced its operations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Hawaii, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Delaware, and Indiana. APPCIC, also a wholly owned subsidiary, writes homeowners multi-peril insurance on Florida homes valued in excess of $1 million, which are limits and coverages currently not targeted through its affiliate UPCIC.

Analysis

Guru Score: 93%

PROFIT MARGIN: [PASS]

This methodology seeks companies with a minimum trailing 12 month after tax profit margin of 7%. The companies that pass this criterion have strong positions within their respective industries and offer greater shareholder returns. A true test of the quality of a company is that they can sustain this margin. UVE's profit margin of 20.52% passes this test.

RELATIVE STRENGTH: [PASS]

The investor must look at the relative strength of the company in question. Companies whose relative strength is 90 or above (that is, the company outperforms 90% or more of the market for the past year), are considered attractive. Companies whose price has been rising much quicker than the market tend to keep rising. UVE, with a relative strength of 97, satisfies this test.

COMPARE SALES AND EPS GROWTH TO THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR: [PASS]

Companies must demonstrate both revenue and net income growth of at least 25% as compared to the prior year. These growth rates give you the dynamic companies that you are looking for. These rates for UVE (40.82% for EPS, and 42.07% for Sales) are good enough to pass.

INSIDER HOLDINGS: [FAIL]

UVE's insiders should own at least 10% (they own 9.82%) of the company's outstanding shares. This does not satisfy the minimum requirement, and companies that do not pass this criteria are less attractive.

CASH FLOW FROM OPERATIONS: [PASS]

A positive cash flow is typically used for internal expansion, acquisitions, dividend payments, etc. A company that generates rather than consumes cash is in much better shape to fund such activities on their own, rather than needing to borrow funds to do so. UVE's free cash flow of $2.70 per share passes this test.

PROFIT MARGIN CONSISTENCY: [PASS]

UVE's profit margin has been consistent or even increasing over the past three years (Current year: 19.77%, Last year: 19.58%, Two years ago: 11.23%), passing the requirement. It is a sign of good management and a healthy and competitive enterprise.

R&D AS A PERCENTAGE OF SALES: [NEUTRAL]

This criterion is not critically important for companies that are not high-tech or medical stocks because they are not as R&D dependant as companies within those sectors. Not much emphasis should be placed on this test in UVE's case.

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS: [PASS]

UVE's level of cash $115.4 million passes this criteria. If a company is a cash generator, like UVE, it has the ability to pay off debt (if it has any) or acquire other companies. Most importantly, good operations generate cash.

"THE FOOL RATIO" (P/E TO GROWTH): [PASS]

The "Fool Ratio" is an extremely important aspect of this analysis. If the company has attractive fundamentals and its Fool Ratio is 0.5 or less (UVE's is 0.37), the shares are looked upon favorably. These high quality companies can often wind up as the biggest winners. UVE passes this test.

The following criteria for UVE are less important which means you would place less emphasis on them when making your investment decision using this strategy:AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING: [PASS]

UVE has not been significantly increasing the number of shares outstanding within recent years which is a good sign. UVE currently has 36.0 million shares outstanding. This means the company is not taking any measures, with regards to the number of shares, that will dilute or devalue the stock.

SALES: [PASS]

Companies with sales less than $500 million should be chosen. It is among these small-cap stocks that investors can find "an uncut gem", ones that institutions won't be able to buy yet. UVE's sales of $435.4 million based on trailing 12 month sales, are fine, making this company one such "prospective gem". UVE passes the sales test.

DAILY DOLLAR VOLUME: [PASS]

UVE passes the Daily Dollar Volume (DDV of $15.0 million) test. It is required that this number be less than $25 million because these are the stocks that remain relatively undiscovered by institutions. "You'll be scoring touchdowns against the big guys on your turf."

PRICE: [PASS]

This is a very insignificant criterion for this methodology. But basically, low prices are chosen because "small numbers multiply more rapidly than large ones" and the potential for big returns expands. UVE with a price of $32.80 passes the price test, even though it doesn't fall in the preferred range. The price should be above $7 in order to eliminate penny stocks and below $20 since most stocks in this price range are undiscovered by the institutions.

INCOME TAX PERCENTAGE: [PASS]

UVE's income tax paid expressed as a percentage of pretax income this year was (42.81%) and last year (41.35%) are greater than 20% which is an acceptable level. If the tax rate is below 20% this could mean that the earnings that were reported were unrealistically inflated due to the lower level of income tax paid. This is a concern.

FOOT LOCKER, INC.

Profile

Strategy: Value InvestorBased on: Benjamin Graham

Foot Locker, Inc. is a retailer of shoes and apparel. The Company operates in two segments: Athletic Stores and Direct-to-Customers. The Athletic Stores segment is an athletic footwear and apparel retailer whose formats include Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, Footaction and SIX:02, as well as the retail stores of Runners Point Group, including Runners Point and Sidestep. The Direct-to-Customers segment includes Footlocker.com, Inc. and other affiliates, including Eastbay, Inc., and the direct-to-customer subsidiary of Runners Point Group, which sell to customers through their Internet and mobile sites and catalogs. As of January 31, 2015, the Company operated 3,423 primarily mall-based stores in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. As of January 31, 2015, the Company operated a total of 78 franchised stores, of which 31 are in the Middle East, 27 in Germany and Switzerland, and 20 in the Republic of Korea.

Analysis

Guru Score: 71%

SECTOR: [PASS]

FL is neither a technology nor financial Company, and therefore this methodology is applicable.

SALES: [PASS]

The investor must select companies of "adequate size". This includes companies with annual sales greater than $340 million. FL's sales of $7,253.0 million, based on trailing 12 month sales, pass this test.

CURRENT RATIO: [PASS]

The current ratio must be greater than or equal to 2. Companies that meet this criterion are typically financially secure and defensive. FL's current ratio of 3.45 passes the test.

LONG-TERM DEBT IN RELATION TO NET CURRENT ASSETS: [PASS]

For industrial companies, long-term debt must not exceed net current assets (current assets minus current liabilities). Companies that meet this criterion display one of the attributes of a financially secure organization. The long-term debt for FL is $130.0 million, while the net current assets are $1,814.0 million. FL passes this test.

LONG-TERM EPS GROWTH: [PASS]

Companies must increase their EPS by at least 30% over a ten-year period and EPS must not have been negative for any year within the last 5 years. Companies with this type of growth tend to be financially secure and have proven themselves over time. FL's EPS growth over that period of 83.8% passes the EPS growth test.

P/E RATIO: [FAIL]

The Price/Earnings (P/E) ratio, based on the greater of the current PE or the PE using average earnings over the last 3 fiscal years, must be "moderate", which this methodology states is not greater than 15. Stocks with moderate P/Es are more defensive by nature. FL's P/E of 17.95 (using the current PE) fails this test.

PRICE/BOOK RATIO: [FAIL]

The Price/Book ratio must also be reasonable. That is, the Price/Book multiplied by P/E cannot be greater than 22. FL's Price/Book ratio is 3.85, while the P/E is 17.95. FL fails the Price/Book test.

CHART INDUSTRIES, INC.

Profile

Strategy: P/E/Growth InvestorBased on: Peter Lynch

Chart Industries, Inc. (Chart) is a diversified manufacturer of engineered equipment engineered equipment for the industrial gas, energy, and biomedical industries. The Company's equipment and engineered systems are used for low-temperature and cryogenic applications. It operates through three segments: Energy & Chemicals (E&C), Distribution & Storage (D&S) and BioMedical. Its products include vacuum insulated containment vessels, heat exchangers, cold boxes and other cryogenic components. Its E&C and D&S segments manufacture products used in energy-related and industrial applications, such as the separation, liquefaction, distribution and storage of hydrocarbon and industrial gases. Through its BioMedical segment, it supplies cryogenic and other equipment used in the medical, biological research and animal breeding industries. The Company, through Thermax, Inc., provides cryogenic fluid vaporizers utilized in industrial gas, petro-chemical and liquefied natural gas applications.

Analysis

Guru Score: 93%

DETERMINE THE CLASSIFICATION:

This methodology would consider GTLS a "fast-grower".

P/E/GROWTH RATIO: [PASS]

The investor should examine the P/E (10.33) relative to the growth rate (22.31%), based on the average of the 3, 4 and 5 year historical eps growth rates, for a company. This is a quick way of determining the fairness of the price. In this particular case, the P/E/G ratio for GTLS (0.46) is very favorable.

SALES AND P/E RATIO: [PASS]

For companies with sales greater than $1 billion, this methodology likes to see that the P/E ratio remain below 40. Large companies can have a difficult time maintaining a growth high enough to support a P/E above this threshold. GTLS, whose sales are $1,135.3 million, needs to have a P/E below 40 to pass this criterion. GTLS's P/E of (10.33) is considered acceptable.

INVENTORY TO SALES: [PASS]

When inventories increase faster than sales, it is a red flag. However an increase of up to 5% is considered bearable if all other ratios appear attractive. Inventory to sales for GTLS was 18.09% last year, while for this year it is 18.08%. Since inventory to sales has not changed appreciably, GTLS passes this test.

EPS GROWTH RATE: [PASS]

This methodology favors companies that have several years of fast earnings growth, as these companies have a proven formula for growth that in many cases can continue many more years. This methodology likes to see earnings growth in the range of 20% to 50%, as earnings growth over 50% may be unsustainable. The EPS growth rate for GTLS is 22.3%, based on the average of the 3, 4 and 5 year historical eps growth rates, which is considered very good.

TOTAL DEBT/EQUITY RATIO: [PASS]

This methodology would consider the Debt/Equity ratio for GTLS (25.03%) to be acceptable (equity is three to ten times debt). This ratio is one quick way to determine the financial strength of the company.

FREE CASH FLOW: [NEUTRAL]

The Free Cash Flow/Price ratio, though not a requirement, is considered a bonus if it is above 35%. A positive Cash Flow (the higher the better) separates a wonderfully reliable investment from a shaky one. This methodology prefers not to invest in companies that rely heavily on capital spending. This ratio for GTLS (7.57%) is too low to add to the attractiveness of the stock. Keep in mind, however, that it does not adversely affect the company as it is a bonus criteria.

NET CASH POSITION: [NEUTRAL]

Another bonus for a company is having a Net Cash/Price ratio above 30%. Lynch defines net cash as cash and marketable securities minus long term debt. According to this methodology, a high value for this ratio dramatically cuts down on the risk of the security. The Net Cash/Price ratio for GTLS (-14.08%) is too low to add to the attractiveness of this company. Keep in mind, however, that it does not adversely affect the company as it is a bonus criteria.

BOFI HOLDING, INC.

Profile

Strategy: Growth InvestorBased on: Martin Zweig

BofI Holding, Inc. (BofI) is the holding company for BofI Federal Bank (the Bank). The Bank is a diversified financial services company. The Bank provides consumer and business banking products through its branchless, distribution channels and affinity partners. The Bank has deposit and loan customers across the nation, including consumer and business checking, savings and time deposit accounts and financing for single family and multifamily residential properties, small-to-medium size businesses in target sectors, and selected specialty finance receivables. The Bank distributes its deposit products through a range of retail distribution channels, and its deposits consist of demand, savings and time deposits accounts. The Bank distributes its loan products through its retail, correspondent and wholesale channels, and the loans the Bank retains are primarily first mortgages secured by single family real property and by multifamily real property.

Analysis

Guru Score: 92%

P/E RATIO: [PASS]

The P/E of a company must be greater than 5 to eliminate weak companies, but not more than 3 times the current Market P/E because the situation is much too risky, and never greater than 43. BOFI's P/E is 26.40, based on trailing 12 month earnings, while the current market PE is 18.00. Therefore, it passes the first test.

REVENUE GROWTH IN RELATION TO EPS GROWTH: [PASS]

Revenue Growth must not be substantially less than earnings growth. For earnings to continue to grow over time they must be supported by a comparable or better sales growth rate and not just by cost cutting or other non-sales measures. BOFI's revenue growth is 26.22%, while it's earnings growth rate is 27.01%, based on the average of the 3, 4 and 5 year historical eps growth rates. Therefore, BOFI passes this criterion.

SALES GROWTH RATE: [FAIL]

Another important issue regarding sales growth is that the rate of quarterly sales growth is rising. To evaluate this, the change from this quarter last year to the present quarter (34.8%) must be examined, and then compared to the previous quarter last year compared to the previous quarter (39.3%) of the current year. Sales growth for the prior must be greater than the latter. For BOFI this criterion has not been met and fails this test.

The earnings numbers of a company should be examined from various different angles. Three of these angles are stability in the trend of earnings, earnings persistence, and earnings acceleration. To evaluate stability, the stock has to pass the following four criteria.

CURRENT QUARTER EARNINGS: [PASS]

The first of these criteria is that the current EPS be positive. BOFI's EPS ($1.55) pass this test.

QUARTERLY EARNINGS ONE YEAR AGO: [PASS]

The EPS for the quarter one year ago must be positive. BOFI's EPS for this quarter last year ($1.09) pass this test.

POSITIVE EARNINGS GROWTH RATE FOR CURRENT QUARTER: [PASS]

The growth rate of the current quarter's earnings compared to the same quarter a year ago must also be positive. BOFI's growth rate of 42.20% passes this test.

EARNINGS GROWTH RATE FOR THE PAST SEVERAL QUARTERS: [PASS]

Compare the earnings growth rate of the previous three quarters with long-term EPS growth rate. Earnings growth in the previous 3 quarters should be at least half of the long-term EPS growth rate. Half of the long-term EPS growth rate for BOFI is 13.51%. This should be less than the growth rates for the 3 previous quarters, which are 41.18%, 36.96%, and 35.00%. BOFI passes this test, which means that it has good, reasonably steady earnings.

This strategy looks at the rate which earnings grow and evaluates this rate of growth from different angles. The 4 tests immediately following are detailed below.

EPS GROWTH FOR CURRENT QUARTER MUST BE GREATER THAN PRIOR 3 QUARTERS: [PASS]

If the growth rate of the prior three quarter's earnings, 37.55%, (versus the same three quarters a year earlier) is less than the growth rate of the current quarter earnings, 42.20%, (versus the same quarter one year ago) then the stock passes.

EPS GROWTH FOR CURRENT QUARTER MUST BE GREATER THAN THE HISTORICAL GROWTH RATE: [PASS]

The EPS growth rate for the current quarter, 42.20% must be greater than or equal to the historical growth which is 27.01%. BOFI would therefore pass this test.

EARNINGS PERSISTENCE: [PASS]

Companies must show persistent yearly earnings growth. To fulfill this requirement a company's earnings must increase each year for a five year period. BOFI, whose annual EPS growth before extraordinary items for the previous 5 years (from the earliest to the most recent fiscal year) were 1.87, 2.34, 2.89, 3.85 and 5.37, passes this test.

LONG-TERM EPS GROWTH: [PASS]

One final earnings test required is that the long-term earnings growth rate must be at least 15% per year. BOFI's long-term growth rate of 27.01%, based on the average of the 3, 4 and 5 year historical eps growth rates, passes this test.

INSIDER TRANSACTIONS: [PASS]

A factor that adds to a stock's attractiveness is if insider buy transactions number 3 or more, while insider sell transactions are zero. Zweig calls this an insider buy signal. For BOFI, this criterion has not been met (insider sell transactions are 182, while insiders buying number 152). Despite the fact that insider sells out number insider buys for this company, Zweig considers even one insider buy transaction enough to prevent an insider sell signal, therefore there is not an insider sell signal and the stock passes this criterion.

HERITAGE INSURANCE HOLDINGS INC

Profile

Strategy: Growth InvestorBased on: Martin Zweig

Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc. (Heritage Insurance), formerly Heritage Insurance Holdings, LLC, is a property and casualty insurance holding company. The Company is engaged in providing personal and commercial residential insurance. Through Its subsidiary, Heritage Property & Casualty Insurance Company (Heritage P&C), it provides personal residential insurance for single-family homeowners and condominium owners, rental property insurance and commercial residential insurance in the state of Florida. The Company is vertically integrated and control or manage all aspects of insurance underwriting, actulato analysis, distribution and claims processing, and adjusting. It has approximately 207,000 personal residential policies in force and approximately 2,400 commercial residential policies in force.

Analysis

Guru Score: 85%

P/E RATIO: [PASS]

The P/E of a company must be greater than 5 to eliminate weak companies, but not more than 3 times the current Market P/E because the situation is much too risky, and never greater than 43. HRTG's P/E is 7.37, based on trailing 12 month earnings, while the current market PE is 18.00. Therefore, it passes the first test.

REVENUE GROWTH IN RELATION TO EPS GROWTH: [PASS]

Revenue Growth must not be substantially less than earnings growth. For earnings to continue to grow over time they must be supported by a comparable or better sales growth rate and not just by cost cutting or other non-sales measures. HRTG's revenue growth is 163.60%, while it's earnings growth rate is 44.14%, based on the average of the 3 and 4 year historical eps growth rates. Therefore, HRTG passes this criterion.

SALES GROWTH RATE: [FAIL]

Another important issue regarding sales growth is that the rate of quarterly sales growth is rising. To evaluate this, the change from this quarter last year to the present quarter (112.9%) must be examined, and then compared to the previous quarter last year compared to the previous quarter (139.6%) of the current year. Sales growth for the prior must be greater than the latter. For HRTG this criterion has not been met and fails this test.

The earnings numbers of a company should be examined from various different angles. Three of these angles are stability in the trend of earnings, earnings persistence, and earnings acceleration. To evaluate stability, the stock has to pass the following four criteria.

CURRENT QUARTER EARNINGS: [PASS]

The first of these criteria is that the current EPS be positive. HRTG's EPS ($0.84) pass this test.

QUARTERLY EARNINGS ONE YEAR AGO: [PASS]

The EPS for the quarter one year ago must be positive. HRTG's EPS for this quarter last year ($0.37) pass this test.

POSITIVE EARNINGS GROWTH RATE FOR CURRENT QUARTER: [PASS]

The growth rate of the current quarter's earnings compared to the same quarter a year ago must also be positive. HRTG's growth rate of 127.03% passes this test.

EARNINGS GROWTH RATE FOR THE PAST SEVERAL QUARTERS: [PASS]

Compare the earnings growth rate of the previous three quarters with long-term EPS growth rate. Earnings growth in the previous 3 quarters should be at least half of the long-term EPS growth rate. Half of the long-term EPS growth rate for HRTG is 22.07%. This should be less than the growth rates for the 3 previous quarters, which are 83.33%, 2,066.67%, and 270.37%. HRTG passes this test, which means that it has good, reasonably steady earnings.

This strategy looks at the rate which earnings grow and evaluates this rate of growth from different angles. The 4 tests immediately following are detailed below.

EPS GROWTH FOR CURRENT QUARTER MUST BE GREATER THAN PRIOR 3 QUARTERS: [PASS]

If the growth rate of the prior three quarter's earnings, 312.50%, (versus the same three quarters a year earlier) is greater than the growth rate of the current quarter earnings, 127.03%, (versus the same quarter one year ago) then the stock fails, with one exception: if the growth rate in earnings between the current quarter and the same quarter one year ago is greater than 30%, then the stock would pass. The growth rate over this period for HRTG is 127.0%, and it would therefore pass this test.

EPS GROWTH FOR CURRENT QUARTER MUST BE GREATER THAN THE HISTORICAL GROWTH RATE: [PASS]

The EPS growth rate for the current quarter, 127.03% must be greater than or equal to the historical growth which is 44.14%. HRTG would therefore pass this test.

EARNINGS PERSISTENCE: [FAIL]

Companies must show persistent yearly earnings growth. To fulfill this requirement a company's earnings must increase each year for a five year period. HRTG, whose annual EPS growth before extraordinary items for the previous 5 years (from the earliest to the most recent fiscal year) were 0.21, 1.14, -0.19, 1.17, and 1.82, fails this test.

LONG-TERM EPS GROWTH: [PASS]

One final earnings test required is that the long-term earnings growth rate must be at least 15% per year. HRTG's long-term growth rate of 44.14%, based on the average of the 3 and 4 year historical eps growth rates, passes this test.

INSIDER TRANSACTIONS: [PASS]

A factor that adds to a stock's attractiveness is if insider buy transactions number 3 or more, while insider sell transactions are zero. Zweig calls this an insider buy signal. For HRTG, this criterion has not been met (insider sell transactions are 51, while insiders buying number 5). Despite the fact that insider sells out number insider buys for this company, Zweig considers even one insider buy transaction enough to prevent an insider sell signal, therefore there is not an insider sell signal and the stock passes this criterion.

SANDERSON FARMS, INC.

Profile

Strategy: Value InvestorBased on: Benjamin Graham

Sanderson Farms, Inc. is a poultry processing company which is engaged in the production, processing, marketing and distribution of fresh and frozen chicken and other prepared chicken items. In addition, the Company is engaged in the processing, marketing and distribution of prepared chicken through its wholly owned subsidiary, Sanderson Farms, Inc. (Foods Division). It produces a range of processed chicken products and prepared chicken items. It sells ice pack, chill pack, bulk pack and frozen chicken, in whole, cut-up and boneless form, under the Sanderson Farms brand name to retailers, distributors, and casual dining operators in the south-eastern, south-western, north-eastern and western United States and to customers who resell frozen chicken into export markets. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013 (fiscal 2013), it processed 452 million chickens, or over 3.0 billion dressed pounds.

Analysis

Guru Score: 86%

SECTOR: [PASS]

SAFM is neither a technology nor financial Company, and therefore this methodology is applicable.

SALES: [PASS]

The investor must select companies of "adequate size". This includes companies with annual sales greater than $340 million. SAFM's sales of $2,884.7 million, based on trailing 12 month sales, pass this test.

CURRENT RATIO: [PASS]

The current ratio must be greater than or equal to 2. Companies that meet this criterion are typically financially secure and defensive. SAFM's current ratio of 3.61 passes the test.

LONG-TERM DEBT IN RELATION TO NET CURRENT ASSETS: [PASS]

For industrial companies, long-term debt must not exceed net current assets (current assets minus current liabilities). Companies that meet this criterion display one of the attributes of a financially secure organization. The long-term debt for SAFM is $0.0 million, while the net current assets are $394.3 million. SAFM passes this test.

LONG-TERM EPS GROWTH: [FAIL]

Companies must increase their EPS by at least 30% over a ten-year period and EPS must not have been negative for any year within the last 5 years. EPS for SAFM were negative within the last 5 years and therefore the company fails this criterion.

P/E RATIO: [PASS]

The Price/Earnings (P/E) ratio, based on the greater of the current PE or the PE using average earnings over the last 3 fiscal years, must be "moderate", which this methodology states is not greater than 15. Stocks with moderate P/Es are more defensive by nature. SAFM's P/E of 11.00 (using the 3 year PE) passes this test.

PRICE/BOOK RATIO: [PASS]

The Price/Book ratio must also be reasonable. That is, the Price/Book multiplied by P/E cannot be greater than 22. SAFM's Price/Book ratio is 1.52, while the P/E is 11.00. SAFM passes the Price/Book test.

WISDOMTREE INVESTMENTS, INC.

Profile

Strategy: Growth InvestorBased on: Martin Zweig

WisdomTree Investments, Inc. is an asset management company that focuses on exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The Company's family of ETFs includes fundamentally weighted funds that track its own indexes, funds that track third party indexes and actively managed funds. The Company distributes its ETFs through all major channels within the asset management industry, including brokerage firms, registered investment advisers, institutional investors, private wealth managers and discount brokers. Most of its index-based funds employ a fundamental weighted investment methodology, which weights securities on the basis of factors, such as dividends or earnings, whereas most other ETF industry indexes use a capitalization weighted methodology. In addition, it also offers actively managed ETFs, which are ETFs that are not-based on a particular index but rather are actively managed with complete transparency into the ETF's portfolio on a daily basis.

Analysis

Guru Score: 92%

P/E RATIO: [PASS]

The P/E of a company must be greater than 5 to eliminate weak companies, but not more than 3 times the current Market P/E because the situation is much too risky, and never greater than 43. WETF's P/E is 40.76, based on trailing 12 month earnings, while the current market PE is 18.00. Therefore, it passes the first test.

REVENUE GROWTH IN RELATION TO EPS GROWTH: [PASS]

Revenue Growth must not be substantially less than earnings growth. For earnings to continue to grow over time they must be supported by a comparable or better sales growth rate and not just by cost cutting or other non-sales measures. WETF's revenue growth is 42.88%, while it's earnings growth rate is 114.23%, based on the average of the 3 and 4 year historical eps growth rates using the current fiscal year eps estimate. Sales growth is not at least 85% of EPS growth so the initial part of this criteria is not met, however, since both sales growth and eps growth are greater than 30%, that requirement is waived and the company passes this test.

SALES GROWTH RATE: [PASS]

Another important issue regarding sales growth is that the rate of quarterly sales growth is rising. To evaluate this, the change from this quarter last year to the present quarter (84.8%) must be examined, and then compared to the previous quarter last year compared to the previous quarter (40.1%) of the current year. Sales growth for the prior must be greater than the latter. For WETF this criterion has been met.

The earnings numbers of a company should be examined from various different angles. Three of these angles are stability in the trend of earnings, earnings persistence, and earnings acceleration. To evaluate stability, the stock has to pass the following four criteria.

CURRENT QUARTER EARNINGS: [PASS]

The first of these criteria is that the current EPS be positive. WETF's EPS ($0.18) pass this test.

QUARTERLY EARNINGS ONE YEAR AGO: [PASS]

The EPS for the quarter one year ago must be positive. WETF's EPS for this quarter last year ($0.08) pass this test.

POSITIVE EARNINGS GROWTH RATE FOR CURRENT QUARTER: [PASS]

The growth rate of the current quarter's earnings compared to the same quarter a year ago must also be positive. WETF's growth rate of 125.00% passes this test.

EARNINGS GROWTH RATE FOR THE PAST SEVERAL QUARTERS: [FAIL]

Compare the earnings growth rate of the past four quarters with long-term EPS growth rate. Earnings growth in the past 4 quarters should be at least half of the long-term EPS growth rate. A stock should not be considered if it posted several quarters of skimpy earnings. WETF had 3 quarters of skimpy growth in the last 2 years.

This strategy looks at the rate which earnings grow and evaluates this rate of growth from different angles. The 4 tests immediately following are detailed below.

EPS GROWTH FOR CURRENT QUARTER MUST BE GREATER THAN PRIOR 3 QUARTERS: [PASS]

If the growth rate of the prior three quarter's earnings, -46.67%, (versus the same three quarters a year earlier) is less than the growth rate of the current quarter earnings, 125.00%, (versus the same quarter one year ago) then the stock passes.

EPS GROWTH FOR CURRENT QUARTER MUST BE GREATER THAN THE HISTORICAL GROWTH RATE: [PASS]

The EPS growth rate for the current quarter, 125.00% must be greater than or equal to the historical growth which is 114.23%. WETF would therefore pass this test.

EARNINGS PERSISTENCE: [PASS]

Companies must show persistent yearly earnings growth. To fulfill this requirement a company's earnings must increase each year for a five year period. WETF, whose annual EPS growth before extraordinary items for the previous 5 years (from the earliest to the most recent fiscal year) were -0.07, 0.02, 0.08, 0.37 and 0.44, passes this test.

LONG-TERM EPS GROWTH: [PASS]

One final earnings test required is that the long-term earnings growth rate must be at least 15% per year. WETF's long-term growth rate of 114.23%, based on the average of the 3 and 4 year historical eps growth rates using the current fiscal year eps estimate, passes this test.

INSIDER TRANSACTIONS: [PASS]

A factor that adds to a stock's attractiveness is if insider buy transactions number 3 or more, while insider sell transactions are zero. Zweig calls this an insider buy signal. For WETF, this criterion has not been met (insider sell transactions are 218, while insiders buying number 58). Despite the fact that insider sells out number insider buys for this company, Zweig considers even one insider buy transaction enough to prevent an insider sell signal, therefore there is not an insider sell signal and the stock passes this criterion.

TRAVELERS COMPANIES INC

Profile

Strategy: P/E/Growth InvestorBased on: Peter Lynch

The Travelers Companies, Inc. is a holding company. Through its subsidiaries, the Company is engaged in providing a range of commercial and personal property and casualty insurance products and services to businesses, Government units, associations and individuals. The Company has three operating segments: Business and International Insurance segment, Bond & Specialty Insurance segment and the Personal Insurance segment. Business and International Insurance segment offers a range of property and casualty insurance and insurance related services to its customers, primarily in the United States, as well as in Canada, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and throughout other parts of the world. Bond & Specialty Insurance segment provides surety, crime, management and professional liability coverages, and related risk management services. Personal Insurance segment includes a range of property and casualty insurance covering individuals' personal risks.

Analysis

Guru Score: 93%

DETERMINE THE CLASSIFICATION:

TRV is considered a "True Stalwart", according to this methodology, as its earnings growth of 16.57% lies within a moderate 10%-19% range and its annual sales of $27,010 million are greater than the multi billion dollar level. This methodology looks for the "Stalwart" securities to gain 30%-50% in value over a two year period if they can be purchased at an attractive price based on the P/E to Growth ratio. TRV is attractive if TRV can hold its own during a recession.

YIELD ADJUSTED P/E TO GROWTH (PEG) RATIO: [PASS]

The Yield-adjusted P/E/G ratio for TRV (0.50), based on the average of the 3 and 4 year historical eps growth rates, is excellent.

EARNINGS PER SHARE: [PASS]

The EPS for a stalwart company must be positive. TRV's EPS ($10.91) would satisfy this criterion.

TOTAL DEBT/EQUITY RATIO: [NEUTRAL]

TRV is a financial company so debt to equity rules are not applied to determine the company's financial soundness.

EQUITY/ASSETS RATIO: [PASS]

This methodology uses the Equity/Assets Ratio as a way to determine a financial intermediary's health, as it is a better measure than the Debt/Equity Ratio. TRV's Equity/Assets ratio (18.00%) is extremely healthy and above the minimum 5% this methodology looks for, thus passing the criterion.

RETURN ON ASSETS: [PASS]

This methodology uses Return on Assets as a way to measure a financial intermediary's profitability. TRV's ROA (3.49%) is above the minimum 1% that this methodology looks for, thus passing the criterion.

FREE CASH FLOW: [NEUTRAL]

The Free Cash Flow/Price ratio, though not a requirement, is considered a bonus if it is above 35%. A positive Cash Flow (the higher the better) separates a wonderfully reliable investment from a shaky one. This methodology prefers not to invest in companies that rely heavily on capital spending. This ratio for TRV (8.39%) is too low to add to the attractiveness of the stock. Keep in mind, however, that it does not adversely affect the company as it is a bonus criteria.

NET CASH POSITION: [NEUTRAL]

Another bonus for a company is having a Net Cash/Price ratio above 30%. Lynch defines net cash as cash and marketable securities minus long term debt. According to this methodology, a high value for this ratio dramatically cuts down on the risk of the security. The Net Cash/Price ratio for TRV (-15.48%) is too low to add to the attractiveness of this company. Keep in mind, however, that it does not adversely affect the company as it is a bonus criteria.

ZUMIEZ INC.

Profile

Strategy: Price/Sales InvestorBased on: Kenneth Fisher

Zumiez Inc. is a multi-channel specialty retailer of apparel, footwear, accessories and hardgoods. As of January 31, 2015, the Company operated 603 stores; 550 in the United States, 35 in Canada and 18 in Europe. The Company operates under the names Zumiez and Blue Tomato. Additionally, it operates e-commerce websites at www.zumiez.com and www.bluetomato.com. In apparel the Company offers t-shirts; baseball tees; hoodies and sweatshirts; tank tops; shorts; board shorts; joggers; shirts; jackets; jeans and pants; sweaters, and snow outerwear. The Company offers accessories, including hats, socks, watches, sunglasses, jewelry, backpacks, beanies, belts, wallets, underwear and bags. In addition it also offers cameras and tech; headphones; home; travel gear; hacky sacks; shoe laces; digital video discs (DVDs), scarves and gloves.

Analysis

Guru Score: 100%

PRICE/SALES RATIO: [PASS]

The prospective company should have a low Price/Sales ratio. Non-cyclical (non-Smokestack) companies with Price/Sales ratios below 0.75 are tremendous values and should be sought. ZUMZ's P/S of 0.60 based on trailing 12 month sales, is below 0.75 which is considered quite attractive. It passes this methodology's P/S ratio test with flying colors.

TOTAL DEBT/EQUITY RATIO: [PASS]

Less debt equals less risk according to this methodology. ZUMZ's Debt/Equity of 0.00% is exceptional, thus passing the test.

PRICE/RESEARCH RATIO: [PASS]

This methodology considers companies in the Technology and Medical sectors to be attractive if they have low Price/Research ratios. ZUMZ is neither a Technology nor Medical company. Therefore the Price/Research ratio is not available and, hence, not much emphasis should be placed on this particular variable.

PRELIMINARY GRADE: Some Interest in ZUMZ At this Point

Is ZUMZ a "Super Stock"? YES

PRICE/SALES RATIO: [PASS]

The prospective company should have a low Price/Sales ratio. Non-cyclical(non-Smokestack) companies with Price/Sales ratios below .75 are tremendous values and should be sought.ZUMZ's P/S ratio of 0.60 is below .75 which is considered extremely attractive. It passes this methodology's P/S ratio test with flying colors.

This methodology looks for companies that have a positive free cash per share. Companies should have enough free cash available to sustain three years of losses. This is based on the premise that companies without cash will soon be out of business. ZUMZ's free cash per share of 1.85 passes this criterion.

THREE YEAR AVERAGE NET PROFIT MARGIN: [PASS]

This methodology looks for companies that have an average net profit margin of 5% or greater over a three year period. ZUMZ, whose three year net profit margin averages 5.99%, passes this evaluation.

MARCUS & MILLICHAP INC

Profile

Strategy: P/E/Growth InvestorBased on: Peter Lynch

Marcus & Millichap, Inc. is a brokerage firm specializing in commercial real estate investment sales, financing, research and advisory services. The Company also offers market research, consulting and advisory services to developers, lenders, owners and investors. It also offers two services to its clients: commercial real estate investment brokerage and financing. The Company divides the commercial real estate market into three segments by investment: Private client segment, which include properties with prices under $10 million; Hybrid segment, which include properties with prices equal to or over $10 million and less than $20 million, and Institutional segment, which include properties with prices of $20 million and above. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had nearly 1,500 investment sales and financing professionals in 78 offices in the United States and Canada that provide investment brokerage and financing services to sellers and buyers of commercial real estate.

Analysis

Guru Score: 91%

DETERMINE THE CLASSIFICATION:

This methodology would consider MMI a "fast-grower".

P/E/GROWTH RATIO: [PASS]

The investor should examine the P/E (31.14) relative to the growth rate (47.11%), based on the average of the 3, 4 and 5 year historical eps growth rates, for a company. This is a quick way of determining the fairness of the price. In this particular case, the P/E/G ratio for MMI (0.66) makes it favorable.

SALES AND P/E RATIO: [NEUTRAL]

For companies with sales greater than $1 billion, this methodology likes to see that the P/E ratio remain below 40. Large companies can have a difficult time maintaining a growth rate high enough to support a P/E above this threshold. MMI, whose sales are $643.4 million, is not considered large enough to apply the P/E ratio analysis. However, an investor can analyze the P/E ratio relative to the EPS growth rate.

EPS GROWTH RATE: [PASS]

This methodology favors companies that have several years of fast earnings growth, as these companies have a proven formula for growth that in many cases can continue many more years. This methodology likes to see earnings growth in the range of 20% to 50%, as earnings growth over 50% may be unsustainable. The EPS growth rate for MMI is 47.1%, based on the average of the 3, 4 and 5 year historical eps growth rates, which is considered 'OK'. However, it may be difficult to sustain such a high growth rate.

TOTAL DEBT/EQUITY RATIO: [PASS]

This methodology would consider the Debt/Equity ratio for MMI (6.95%) to be exceptionally low (equity is at least ten times debt). This ratio is one quick way to determine the financial strength of the company.

FREE CASH FLOW: [NEUTRAL]

The Free Cash Flow/Price ratio, though not a requirement, is considered a bonus if it is above 35%. A positive Cash Flow (the higher the better) separates a wonderfully reliable investment from a shaky one. This methodology prefers not to invest in companies that rely heavily on capital spending. This ratio for MMI (3.63%) is too low to add to the attractiveness of the stock. Keep in mind, however, that it does not adversely affect the company as it is a bonus criteria.

NET CASH POSITION: [NEUTRAL]

Another bonus for a company is having a Net Cash/Price ratio above 30%. Lynch defines net cash as cash and marketable securities minus long term debt. According to this methodology, a high value for this ratio dramatically cuts down on the risk of the security. The Net Cash/Price ratio for MMI (7.34%) is too low to add to the attractiveness of this company. Keep in mind, however, that it does not adversely affect the company as it is a bonus criteria.

Watch List

The Watch List contains the highest scoring stocks according to our guru consensus
system that are not currently in the Hot List portfolio. We provide this list both for informational purposes and
for investors who are not comfortable with a portfolio of ten stocks.

Ticker

Company Name

Industry

Guru Score

EGBN

EAGLE BANCORP, INC.

Regional Banks

62

VLO

VALERO ENERGY CORPORATION

Oil & Gas Operations

60

CALM

CAL-MAINE FOODS INC

Fish/Livestock

58

AAPL

APPLE INC.

Communications Equipment

57

PNFP

PINNACLE FINANCIAL PARTNERS

Regional Banks

56

JLL

JONES LANG LASALLE INC

Real Estate Operations

52

PII

POLARIS INDUSTRIES INC.

Recreational Products

50

AFSI

AMTRUST FINANCIAL SERVICES INC

Insurance (Prop. & Casualty)

49

CBI

CHICAGO BRIDGE & IRON COMPANY N.V.

Construction Services

47

GCI

GANNETT CO INC

Advertising

45

Disclaimer

The names of individuals (i.e., the 'gurus') appearing in this report are for identification purposes of
his methodology only, as derived by Validea.com from published sources, and are
not intended to suggest or imply any affiliation with or endorsement or even
agreement with this report personally by such gurus, or any knowledge or approval
by such persons of the content of this report. All trademarks, service marks and
tradenames appearing in this report are the property of their respective owners, and
are likewise used for identification purposes only.

Validea is not registered as a securities broker-dealer or investment
advisor either with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or with any
state securities regulatory authority. Validea is not responsible for trades
executed by users of this site based on the information included
herein.
The information presented on this website does not represent a
recommendation to buy or sell stocks or any financial
instrument nor is it intended as an endorsement of any security or investment.
The information on this website is generic by nature and is not personalized to the
specific situation of any individual. The user therefore bears complete responsibility for
their own investment research and should seek the advice of a qualified investment professional prior
to making any investment decisions.

Performance results are based on model portfolios and do not reflect actual trading.
Actual performance will vary based on a variety of factors, including market conditions
and trading costs. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
Individual stocks mentioned throughout this web site may be holdings in the managed portfolios of Validea Capital Management, a separate asset management firm founded by Validea.com founder John Reese.
Validea Capital Management, which is a separate legal entity and an SEC registered investment advisory firm, uses, in part, the strategies on the web site to select stocks for its clients.